Updated: Former Highland County Commissioners clerk indicted

Charged with financial crimes; grand jury indicts 13 others

Shown is former Highland County Board of Commissioners Clerk Rhonda Smalley.

David Wright | The Times-Gazette

This story has been updated to reflect that Highland County Board of Commissioners President Shane Wilkin said the board will issue an official statement at its regular meeting Wednesday morning.

Former county commissioners clerk Rhonda Smalley was among 14 people indicted on Tuesday by a Highland County Grand Jury on a variety of charges.

Smalley, who resigned from her position at the commissioners office in December of last year, was indicted on one count of misuse of a credit card, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of theft in office, a fourth-degree felony.

The indictment alleges Smalley committed the crimes between July 28 and Nov. 12, 2017 in an amount between $1,000 and $7,500.

The maximum penalty for Smalley’s charges is 18 months in prison, according to Highland County Prosecuting Attorney Anneka Collins, although according to House Bill 86, if it is found she has no prior criminal record, she will likely be put on probation.

As previously reported, Hillsboro Police Chief Darrin Goudy confirmed last week that his department had conducted an investigation into “financial misappropriation” in the commissioners office.

Highland County Board of Commissioners President Shane Wilkin said the board would issue an official statement at its regular meeting Wednesday morning.

Reached Tuesday afternoon, Highland County Commissioner Terry Britton said, “I’m going to let it run through the court system and let it play out how it’s supposed to and let Anneka do her job. We’ll see after that.”

• Justin Dawson, 19, Washington Court House, was indicted on one count of aggravated possession of methamphetamine with a forfeiture specificiation.

• Logan M. McGraw, 22, Mount Sterling, was indicted on one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony.

• Ryan L. Pollock, 36, Frankfort, was indicted on one count of illegal conveyance of weapons or prohibited items onto the grounds of a detention facility or institution, a fifth-degree felony; and aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.

• Matthew W. Potts, 31, Hillsboro, was indicted on one count of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony, with a forfeiture specification.

• Sean Ryan VanNess, 33, Hillsboro, was indicted on one count of trafficking in marijuana, a third-degree felony, one count of third-degree felony possession of marijuana and one count of fifth-degree felony possession of marijuana, with a forfeiture specification.

• Ronnie Combs, 54, and Mark R. Galea, 58, both of Hillsboro, were each indicted on one count of possession of marijuana, a third-degree felony. Combs was indicted on one count of third-degree felony illegal cultivation of marijuana, and Galea was indicted on one count of fifth-degree felony illegal cultivation of marijuana.